During my year as a seventh grader, I learned a lot. I enjoyed expanding my knowledge and learning about all sorts of new things in each of my classes. I believe that I was really sucessful in writing with more detail and more advanced vocabulary. I also think that I found some now ways to study for tests. All the vocabulary tests and science tests helped me to develop techniques for studying such as creating flashcards and quizes to prepare myself for tests. One thing I thought that I could have done better is utilize the enrichment time that was given to work on as much homework as I can. I felt like that my math skills have increased immensely. I now can factor and solve quadratic equations and simplify rational equations. Emotionaly, i think I have learned how to handle friendships better. I also think that I have become a better leader. I have learned how to be a leader without being bossy. One thing I would change about seventh grade is the way I approached different projects. I feel like I could have researched the different topics of my projects with more detail and thoroughness. In the eighth grade, I am going to plan out my time better. I can definately work on my time management. For all the incoming seventh graders out there, I have one tip for surviving seventh grade. Do your homework. It will affect your grade really badly if you don't.

I enjoyed my day at International Towne. It was a cool experience to run the town, and have so much control of how the day went. I liked how the break schedule was organized so that not more than three people were gone at a time. However, I felt annoyed when the people in my country didn’t follow that schedule. It was hard to do six jobs at once. When I was trying to do my work as financial minister, I had to stop what I was doing and greet people. It was hard to manage my time and figure out just what I could do for everyone else in my country. I wish the breaks had been longer. Fifteen minutes was not enough to get what I wanted to done. The best part of this experience was being in charge of your own money. I think that it was good to know how much of each currency I had and plan what I was going to buy accordingly. I learned that it was best to talk to your president if you have any problems. They can solve the problem easily because they can help steer you in the right direction. I think that International Town was a really interesting and fun field trip.

World history infuences our lives in many ways. If the past had not been like it was, our lives would be different. Our futures are impacted by all our decisions and the way we choose to live in the present. It is the same with world history. Who knew that a battle in ancient times could affect a country's boundaries today? I think it is cool that the techniques that were developed in ancient times, such as irrigation, are still used today. My guiding question was "How did Japanese culture affect Japanese literature?" I learned that a lot of the literature from ancient Japan described the world and the things that the author was surrounded by. I find it cool that when the culture of Japan changed, so did the literature. Even the type of literature that was being written was affected by the culture of Japan. Many types of literature was created because writers were adapting to the culture.

During the world history fair, I learned a lot. When we had the thirty minutes to explore, I felt like I was traveling the world. I learned about oragami, and why the Hanging Gardens of Babalon were so important. I also learned about Greek religion. The Greek people used to decorate their temples elaborately because they wanted the gods to be happy. In addition, I learned about the lock system that Leonardo da Vinci created. I gained a lot of knowledge during the whole process of completing this project.

I love the book so far. I think the main idea is how a community with diverse cultures comes together to create a garden. I felt really attatched to the characters when I started reading this book. My favorite character so far would have to be Kim. I think that her story is really touching. I know that I would have a hard time if my dad wasn't around. I think that the garden helped her to fill in the pieces of the puzzle that was left unfinished by her father. She is finding her identity. I didn't like Gonzago as a character as much. I felt like he wasn't as attached to the garden as much as the other characters. Even though he learns a lot from the garden, he is not as important to the development of the garden as the other characters. I am enjoying the book, and the activities that come along with it. I think it is cool that we got to plant tomtato seeds for the Canadian Space Agency, even though I don't have a green thumb! I also enjoyed creating a visual interpretation of the book in technology with a picture quilt. We got to find lots of pictures and compile them into one big picture with little details from the book everywhere you look. I am so happy that the whole school has gotten involved with the all school reads book. Reading this book with the rest of the school is an awesome experience.

My World Histor Fair Project is coming together nicely. I have learned a lot about my topic and doing big projects. One of the things I learned is that it is better to have more research than not enough because when you go to write the research paper, you need all the information you can get! I also learned that Japanese literature is still studied today in many countries. It was hard to answer my guiding question because all the facts you collect during research have to be compiled and put into one answer. It requires a lot of critical thinking. I am almost ready for the World History Fair. Just a few more tweaks, and I should be ready to present!

When a gymnast competes, they are not only showing what they can do. It is a lot more than that. Competing means proving to yourself that your hard work and dedication has payed off. It's proving to yourself that you are as good as you think you are. As Shawn Johonson once said, "When you work so hard for one special day or routine, you want to perform it better than you ever have." One of the worst feelings for me when I compete is when I do not do as well as I knew I could have. That's why there is so much pressure when you compete. No matter how many routines you do in practice, the only one that matters is the one you do in competition. It is true that when you are a competitive gymnast, the pressure's on!

We dissected the chicken wings before break so that we could learn more about what makes our body move. I thought it was cool because a lot of the stuff we saw in the chicken wing is not that different from what is inside us. Before we did the dissection, I knew some basics about muscles, ligaments, and tendons, but I did not know what they looked like, or that muscles work in pairs. I do believe that the dissection was worthwhile because it helped me visualize the information that we were being told in class. I did find it sort of gross though!